Containers for rocket-propelled and other missiles



1961 R. s. RANSOM ETAL 3,014

CONTAINERS FOR ROCKET-PROPELLED AND OTHER MISSILES 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 2, 1959 INVENTORS,

RICHARD SUTTON RANSOM, MERVYN FRANCIS WILSON Dec. 26, 1961 R. S. RANSOM ETAL CONTAINERS FOR ROCKET-PROPELLED AND OTHER MISSILES Filed March 2. 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 q m m EN k U u E 1 a g 71}, m 1 E L X N i a 2 E N Q I INVENTORS,

RICHARD SUTTON RANSOM, MERVYN FRANCIS WILSON Dec. 26, 1961 R. s. RANSOM ETAL 3,014,411

CONTAINERS FOR ROCKET-PROPELLED AND OTHER MISSILES Filed March 2, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 v 3,dl4,ill Patented Dec. 26., 1961 3,014,411 FOR ROCKET-PROPELLED AND CONTRS OTHER MISSILES Richard Sutton Ransom, Holywood, and Mervyn Francis Wilson, Belfast, Northern Ireland, assignors to Short lBrothers and Harland Limited, Belfast, Northern Ireand Filed Mar. 2, 1959, Ser. No. 796,696

4 Claims. (Cl. 89 -137) The object of the invention is to provide for a rocketpropelled or other missile an improved form of container, which will serve to protect the missile against damage in transport or during storage prior to use, in conditions in which it may be subjected to rough handling or contact with other objects, or in adverse climate conditions.

A container for the aforesaid purpose, according to the invention, comprises a two-section rigid casing, one section being arranged to encase the missile, and the other section forming a base-member by which the missile together with said first-mentioned section may be mounted on a launching support, the first-mentioned section of the casing being detachable from the base-section thereof prior to launching.

A further feature of the invention is the provision within the first-mentioned section of the casing of a flexible envelope which, after removal of said first-mentioned section will constitute a temporary weather protection for the rnissle, said envelopebeing attached to the base-section of the casing and incorporating rip seams along which the envelope will disintegrate when the missile is fired.

One embodiment of the invention, as applied to a container for a guided-rocket propelled missile, is hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a partly sectional longitudinal elevation of the container, with a missile mounted therein upon the base-member section,

FIG. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the rear part of the container, illustrating the manner of its support upon a launching stand,

FIG. 3 is a front elevation of the nose of the container, and I FIG. 4 is a detail, drawn to a larger scale, of the means employed for attaching the casing component to the sile within the casing. The periphery of the skirt 102 is arranged to be attached by spring clips 13 to a sheet metal annulus 14 which is attached. to the rim of an aluminum alloy or other metal disc 141 which closes the rear end "of the casing and whichconstitutes the base-member.

For lightness and strength, the casing lti is conveniently fabricated from moulded glass-fibre resin laminates.

Within the casing the missile is enclosed by a flexible envelope 15, of polyethylene or analogous material, which is secured in position by means hereinafter described, for the purpose of aliording temporary protection after removal of the casing 10 from the base-member.

161 in which is received a similarly slotted pin 17 attached to the body of the missile, supporting the latter A shackle 103 and lifting handles 104, 104 are provided 7 on the casing 10 as shown.

Attached to the inner face of the base-member disc 141 is a beam 16 which extends forwardly to a position approximately opposite the centre-of-gravity of the missile, where it is provided with a longitudinally slotted lug when mounted on the launching stand, part of which is indicated at 18.

The rear end of said beam 16 incorporates a socket 162 which is adapted, when the base-member is mounted on said launching stand'18 to receive with a close fit a forwardly projecting spigot 19 which serves to support the beam on the stand and also incorporates conductor leads 20, 26 by which electrical connections may be made to the missile through suitable contacts on the opposing surfaces of the spigot 19 and the socket 162. Mounted on the underside of the beam 16 is a bracket 21 carrying locating lugs 22 for the after end of the missile and providing an abutment for a shear pin linkage 23 by which the missile is attached to the base-member 14. The angular location of the base-member disc 141 about the axis of the spigot 19 is determined by the engagement of a subsidiary spigot consisting of a flattened peg 24 which is fixed to the stand 18. The peg 24 is received in a hole 142 in said disc 141, the diam. eter of Which'is equal to the width of the peg. The peg is enclosed by a sealed canister 241 which is fixed to the inner face of the disc 141 about said hole 142.

In the centre of the base-member disc 141 is detachably mounted a blow-out panel 25 which, when the missile is fired is immediately displaced by the thrust of the efliux gases. The flexible envelope 15 extends to the corrugated lip 143 of the annulus 14 of the disc 141,

about which it is secured by an elastic cord or the like 26 wrapped around said rim. The envelope 15 is divided by rip seams 151, 151 into longitudinal panels at the forward extremities of which are attached cords 152, 152 which extend within the envelope to a hook 27 on the inner face of said blow-out panel 25, to which they are tied, and the arrangement is such that when the blow-out panel 25 is displaced on firing, the tension of the cords 152 is immediately effective to rip away the seamed panels, leaving the missile free without encumbrance by the envelope 15 as the motor thrust rises to the high value required to rupture the shear-pin and effect launch- What we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. 'In a container for use in storage of a missile and for supporting the missile in position for firing on a launching support, the improvement comprising: an outer casing including a rigid base member for supporting the missile and adapted to be mounted on the launching support and a rigid cover member detachably secured to said base member and normally encasing said missile for storage, said rigid base member including a light metal disc having a sheet metal annular rim, said disc being apertured for the passage therethrough of locating members carried by the launching support, said disc having a blow-out panel therein adapted to be blown out of position by thrust of the efilux gases on firing of the missile; an inner casingsecured at one end thereof to the sheet metal annular rim of said base member and also encasing the missile, said inner casing being a flexible envelope providing temporary cover of the missile when said rigid cover member is removed, said flexible envelope having rip seams extending along at least a portion of its length from its end furtherest from said base member and defining rip panels at least, in an area adjacent the forward end of the missile; and means conof said envelope and to the inner facevof the blow-out panel in said base member whereby outward displacement of the blow-out panel causes said rip cords to rip said envelope along said rip seams.

3. The combination of claim 1 including a beam connected to said base member and extending in cantilever relationship thereto, and means at the end of said beam for suspension of the missile at a point near the center of gravity thereof.

'4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said beam includes a socket in its end adjacent to its attachment to said base member, said socket being adapted for reception of a locating and supporting spigot carried by the launching stand.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Cunningham June 30, 1891 Ellis Mar. 27, 1917 Lindvall et al Sept. 18, 1951 Johnston Dec. 17, 1957 Re et a1. July 22, 1958 Chartrand Mar. 17, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS France June 17, 1946 OTHER REFERENCES Jet Propulsion, June 195 6, page 477. 

